Manmohan Singh to list achievements; say he has delivered on promises

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet the media after a long gap on Friday morning when he "wants to dispel the myth that nothing has happened in this country" and say his government has "delivered" on its prommises, official sources said Thursday.

Manmohan Singh, in his much-anticipated media interaction, will list the achievements of 10 years of UPA's rule and will, contrary to media expectations, focus less on politics, these sources said.

There has been speculation in sections of the media that the prime minister will announce he is stepping down and make way for Rahul Gandhi. That was, however, denied by the Prime Minister's Office.

According to the sources, the prime minister will highlight the progress of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government since 2004 in the key areas of economic growth, job creation, in controlling inflation and encouraging and supporting small businesses, as well in foreign policy.

According to the sources, the prime minister "wants to dispel the myth that nothing has happened in this country.

"He will explain the rise of inflation and how the government has been able to deal with it," the source said, adding that the prime minister wants to convey the message that the government has "delivered" what it had "promised."

He will also talk about the steps taken by the government on providing a better governance and transparency.

"He will also highlight the various anti-corruption measures taken by his government," the source said.

Manmohan Singh's second tenure has been blighted by allegations of corruptions and some of its ministers have resigned on corruption charges.

The press conference, at the recently inaugurated National Media Centre, will be attended by 250 media persons, including senior editors, officials said.

The prime minister's press conference is coming just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and the drubbing the party faced in the recent assembly polls.

The press conference will only be the second during his second term as the prime minister which began in May 2009. He had held a similar one two years ago, though he had met five editors and a group of TV editors once each.

This will also be the third press conference in his entire 10 years span. He has however held interactions on board with journalists during his foreign visits.

Apart from the prime minister, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari will be present at the conference that will begin at 11 am.